ACTIVITY-7 :

VECTOR OR CROSS PRODUCT

OBJECTIVE
( )
To verify geometrically that c  a + b = c  a + c  b

MATERIAL REQUIRED
▪ A drawing board
▪ A white paper sheet
▪ Board pins, pencil and scale

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION
1. Take drawing boards and fix a white paper sheet on it with board pins.
2. Draw a line segment OA (=6cm, say) and let it represent c .
3. Draw another line segment OB (=4cm, say) at an angle (say 60 ) with OA. Let OB = a .
4. Draw BC (=3cm.say) making an angle ( 30 ) with OA . Let BC = b
5. Draw perpendiculars BM, CL and BN.
6. Complete parallelogram OAPC, OAQB and BQPC.

DEMONSTRATION
1. OC = OB + BC = a + b , and Let COA = 
( )
2. c  a + b = c a + b sin  = area of parallelogram OAPC
3. c  a =area of parallelogram OAQB
4. c  b =area of parallelogram BQPC
5. Area of parallelogram OAPC=(OA)(CL)
=(OA)(LN+NC)
=(OA)(BM+NC)
=(OA)(BM)+(OA)(NC)
=Area of parallelogram OAQB+Area of parallelogram BQPC
= c+a + c+b
So, ( )
c a + b = ca + cb

( )
Direction of each of these vectors c  a + b , c  a and c  b is perpendicular to the same plane.

( )
So, c  a + b = c  a + c  b .

OBSERVATION
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗| = 𝑂𝐴 = 6𝑐𝑚
➢ |𝑐⃗| = |𝑂𝐴

➢ |𝑎⃗ + 𝑏⃗⃗| = |𝑂𝐶

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ | = 𝑂𝐶 = 6.7𝑐𝑚

➢ CL=5cm
 ➢ |𝒄
⃗⃗ × (𝒂 ⃗⃗)|= Area of parallelogram OAPC
⃗⃗ + 𝒃
=(OA)(CL)=30sq. units ___________________________________ (1)
➢ |𝒄
⃗⃗ × 𝒂
⃗⃗| = 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐟Parallelogram OAQB
=(OA)(BM)=6cm  3.5 cm =21 sq. cm ___________________________________ (2)
➢ |𝒄
⃗⃗ × 𝒂
⃗⃗| = 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐟Parallelogram BQPC
=(OA)(CN)=6cm  1.5 cm = 9 sq. cm ___________________________________ (3)
From eqn ①,② and ③ , we have :
Area of parallelogram OAPC = Area of parallelogram OAQB + Area of parallelogram BQPC.
Thus, |𝒄 ⃗⃗ + ⃗𝒃⃗)| = |𝒄
⃗⃗ × (𝒂 ⃗⃗ × 𝒂 ⃗⃗ × ⃗𝒃⃗|
⃗⃗| + |𝒄
𝑐⃗ × 𝑎⃗, 𝑐⃗ × 𝑏⃗⃗ and 𝑐⃗ × (𝑎⃗ + 𝑏⃗⃗)are all in the direction of perpendicular to the plane of paper.

CONCLUSION
( )
Therefore, c  a + b = c  a + c  b

PREPARED BY
LPS HEAD OFFICE